The Perfect Sacrifice
Exodus 30:15, “The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the LORD to make atonement for yourselves.”
I love reading the Old Testament in relation to the New Testament because the Old Testament fully exposes the Word of God for what it truly is, a Book of Grace and Mercy. In the Old Testament we can understand and appreciate the requirements of God to pay for sin.
The atonement of blood that was offered yearly by the priest was to cover the sins of the people. This had to be done every year to redeem the people. On top of that the people had daily and weekly sacrifices that they had, through the priest, to make.
Today, even though many people say that Jesus Christ did away with this, the sacrificial laws of God remain in effect. The difference is that these sacrificial laws which were laid forth by God have been totally fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. In Matthew 5:18 Jesus said, “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” While hanging on the cross Jesus cried out. “It is finished.” Signifying that the Sacrificial Requirements of God were made complete in Him. No longer must we offer our sacrifices before God continually. Jesus came as the perfect Lamb of God, and He sacrificed Himself on the Cross of Calvary to make atonement for all people forever.
Hebrews 9:19, “For when every commandment had been spoken by Moses to all the people according to the Law, he took the blood of the calves and the goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20 saying, “THIS IS THE BLOOD OF THE COVENANT WHICH GOD COMMANDED YOU.” 21 And in the same way he sprinkled both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry with the blood. 22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. 26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world ; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”
God’s sin requirements have been met in Jesus, and through Him we have been empowered to live a life that is pleasing to God.
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Father, I thank You for sending Your Son to be the complete and final sacrifice to cover my sins, and I ask that You help me remember that I am set free to live a life that is pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen
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